


Spontaneous

by mintywrites



Category: Fargo (2014)
Genre: It's not super fluff but it's kinda fluff, M/M, my hand slipped, there's kind of a plot but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-24
Updated: 2014-08-24
Packaged: 2018-02-14 11:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2190417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mintywrites/pseuds/mintywrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wrench surprises Numbers with a road trip, but he refuses to tell Numbers where they're going.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spontaneous

It was a warm summer day in North Dakota. Sunlight streamed into Wrench and Numbers’ bedroom, and Wrench gently kissed his partner awake. Numbers rolled over groggily. They had been out on a tough mission the past week, and the two of them had been asleep since practically the moment they stumbled into their cabin the previous afternoon. Numbers rubbed his eyes as he looked over at the clock, which read 7:13 am.

 _Good morning._ Wrench leaned in and kissed Numbers lightly, happily opening his arms as Numbers nuzzled into his chest. Wrench held him for a minute, but frowned when he noticed that Numbers had fallen back asleep. He pulled away and nudged him lightly, and when he saw the shorter man’s eyes open, he signed, _Come on, get up._ _I want to take you somewhere._

Numbers tilted his head sleepily. _Where?_

_It’s a surprise. But we’ll be gone a few days._

Numbers smiled. Wrench really was a hopeless romantic. Normally Numbers would tell Wrench that he was crazy. Not two days ago they were a thousand miles away from home, and they were both almost killed- not the kind of “almost killed” that a hitman takes for granted, but actually almost killed- and now he wants to leave on another trip? But Numbers didn’t think that way today. Their near death experience had made him realize that he needed to make some memories that didn’t involve murdering people. So he decided to go along with whatever Wrench had planned.

Numbers rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready. Wrench went into the living room to grab the bag he had brought on their last hit. He emptied its contents into the hamper and stuffed a few days’ worth of clean clothing into it. Numbers was still in the bathroom, so he took the opportunity to water all of their houseplants.

After he was done, Wrench returned to the bedroom and lovingly watched as his partner neatly laid out five of his favorite shirts on the bed and begin to fold them. Wrench knocked on the wall to get Numbers’ attention and signed, _You’re gonna need some stuff you can get dirty._

 _Dirty? It’s one of those trips, is it?_ Numbers said with a smirk.

Wrench laughed. _No, not that kind of dirty. Like, outside dirty._

Numbers was a bit taken aback. He wasn’t one for the great outdoors- Wrench knew that. But if it was somewhere Wrench was taking him, it must be somewhere he thought Numbers would like. He grumbled as he pulled out some t-shirts and old jeans from his dresser and stuffed them into his bag.

Wrench scrunched his face when he saw the jeans. _It’s hot out. You’re going to want shorts._

Numbers glared at his partner. _You know I don’t own any shorts._

Wrench chuckled. It was true, Numbers despised shorts. Wrench had only seen him wear them in the form of swim trunks. _Well trust me, where we’re going, you’re gonna be sorry if you don’t have any. We can just stop and get you some along the way. Oh, and you’ll need some boots you can walk in. Ones with good support._

Numbers furrowed his brow. Now he was really unsure about this trip. He fished out an old pair of snow boots from the back of the closet. Wrench laughed- they definitely weren’t ideal for hiking- but they would get the job done. Numbers shoved them into his bag and looked up at his partner.

_Just how long are we going to be gone for?_

_Who knows. We can stay as long as you want. But trust me, where we’re going, you’ll never want to leave._

Numbers looked at Wrench questioningly. Wrench just smiled back at him, and then added, _Bring your camera. Your good camera. And however many rolls of film you think you should bring, double it._

Numbers racked his brain trying to think of what could possibly be in store for him as he picked up his bag and brought it out to the front door. He tried to remember if he had recently told Wrench about an outdoors place he’d always wanted to visit, or if Wrench had told him about a place he’d like to take him to, but he couldnt’ think of anything. Numbers held the front door open for Wrench, who was grabbing two apples and a few protein bars for them to eat in the car, and soon they were off.

Their cabin was north of Fargo (which was north of most things worth visiting), so Numbers was very confused when they turned north onto the highway. From what Wrench had said about packing shorts, he imagined they’d be going to the beach or something. But he stayed quiet, letting the radio entertain him as countless fields whizzed by their car.

They traveled west on route 2 across the great state of North Dakota, passing field after boring field. They decided to stop every three hours- usually when they were on the job they could go longer, but they were on vacation after all. When it was time for their second stop, they tracked down a diner and sat down for lunch.

Wrench took a large bite of his thanksgiving sandwich, and when he glanced up at his partner, Numbers was looking at him, eyebrows raised.

Wrench swallowed the food that was in his mouth as he signed, _What?_

_Where the hell are we going? We’re in the middle of nowhere._

_I told you, it’s a surprise._

Numbers huffed. _We’re almost to Montana- are we going to your hometown?_

_You’ll find out._

_Oh god. You’re taking me to the ranch you worked at when you were a teenager, aren’t you? You’re gonna make me shovel manure and castrate a horse and deliver a fucking baby cow-_

Wrench laughed at Numbers’ colorful (and definitely non-ASL approved) gesture demonstrating the word “castrate.” _Don’t worry, we’re not going to the ranch._

_Oh thank god. I don’t think I could handle that._

Wrench smiled. Numbers was such a fucking drama queen. But he was _his_ drama queen.

_How much longer are we going to be in the car?_

_Around six more hours, then we can stop for the night._

Numbers groaned. _And then more driving tomorrow?_

_Yup._

Numbers glared at his partner. _This had better be worth it._

Wrench smiled. _Don’t worry, it will be._

As they headed back to the car after their meal, Numbers tapped Wrench on the shoulder. _I can drive next if you want._

Wrench thought about it for a moment before handing Numbers the keys. Numbers headed over to the drivers’ side and sat down. He smirked as he turned to look at Wrench.

_So where am I driving to?_

_Get back on route 2 and keep going west. I’ll tell you when to turn._

Numbers sneered at his partner before shifting his eyes to the back seat, where an atlas laid across the passengers’ side seat. He lunged for it, hoping to get a peek of the area so he could see where the hell they could be headed towards. But Wrench was quicker, contorting his body to snatch up the book and sit on it in one fluid motion. Numbers groaned and started the car.

Numbers drove for around two and a half hours before his leg fell asleep. Wrench continued the drive, and after four more hours of passing nothing and more and more and more nothing, they finally reached Shelby, Montana and looked around for a place to stay the night. Numbers pointed out a cheap looking motel and Wrench pulled into the parking lot. Numbers was still slightly pissed at Wrench because during the drive he had kept waiting for him to turn off of route 2, but here they were, after driving for eleven fucking hours on this goddamn road, and they hadn’t turned off it once.

Numbers yawned loudly as he stretched after finally getting out of the car for the last time that day. This probably wasn’t the longest they’d been on the road without sleep, but all-day car rides never seemed to get any easier. Wrench slammed his door shut and the two men headed for the office.

The woman behind the counter was preoccupied with another customer when they walked in. Numbers looked over at Wrench, who was eyeing some of the tourist pamphlets on display. He tapped him on the shoulder and was met with a warm, but very tired smile.

_You didn’t make a reservation? This trip was S-P-O-N-T-A-N-E-O-U-S?_

Wrench smiled. That was the first time in months Numbers had needed to fingerspell a word that Wrench had already taught him. He couldn’t be sure whether Numbers had legitimately forgotten the word or if he was just too tired to remember it right now. Wrench demonstrated the sign anyway, and then nodded. _Yeah. This morning when I woke up, I looked over at you and I thought… I thought, “I want to take you somewhere special.” So I did._

Numbers grinned as he looked down at the floor. His partner was making so happy, it was making him angry. No one should be allowed to make him feel this way. But Wrench did. Numbers pursed his lips and bit the inside of his mouth to try to keep himself from smiling like an idiot. He glanced around, looking for something to change the subject. His eyes landed on a map on the other side of the room. For a moment, Numbers considered hatching a plan to sneak back here once they had settled into their motel room so he could look at the map and try to figure out where they were going. But he dropped the idea and decided that he’d do this the way Wrench had intended- as a surprise.

After Numbers checked them in, he turned to leave the office when he felt Wrench tap him on the shoulder. _Ask her where we can buy outdoor gear. We still have to buy you some shorts, remember?_

Numbers groaned and did as his partner asked. They left the lobby with an address in hand. After grabbing their bags from the car, Numbers trudged up the stairs, eager to finally lay down after an incredibly long day. Why Wrench insisted on taking this trip not 24 hours after getting home from their last job was beyond him.

Wrench closed the door to the motel room behind him and joined Numbers, who had already kicked his pants off and was sprawled out across the bed, seconds away from falling asleep on top of the covers. Wrench smiled down at his partner and lifted his legs to bring the bedsheets over him. He headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth and change into his pajama pants, and when he returned to the bed Numbers was sleeping like a baby. Wrench set the alarm for 7:30 before climbing into bed. He wrapped his arms around his partner and drifted off to sleep.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Wrench awoke when he felt Numbers getting up out of bed. Wrench rolled over on his back and watched Numbers stretch. The clock read 8, which meant Numbers had only hit the snooze button three times- a new record for him.

Half an hour later, both men were dressed and groomed and ready to hit the road. Wrench dug the address for the sporting goods store out of his pocket and consulted a local map he’d picked up from the motel office. After a few minutes of driving, they were parked outside the store. Numbers groaned as Wrench led him inside.

After a glance around the store, Wrench pointed towards the hiking section. Numbers sighed and hesitantly followed Wrench, who was already picking out shorts for his partner when Numbers caught up to him.

 _Oh god,_ Numbers groaned. _I fucking hate shopping for shorts._

 _Try these on._ Wrench handed Numbers a pair. _They’re like the ones I have. S-Y-N-T-H-E-T-I-C fabric. They keep you nice and cool and dry while you’re hiking._

Numbers reached out a hand and took the shorts. The material felt awful compared to the nice organic fabrics he was used to wearing.

_Are you sure I need these?_

_It's either those, or you turn your jeans into cutoffs._

Numbers huffed and turned around to look for a changing room. Wrench stood outside the door while Numbers tried them on, occasionally sticking his hand over the top of the door to sign words of encouragement at his partner. After a minute, Numbers came out.

_I look so fucking stupid._

Wrench grinned widely as he signed, _Well that’s a given. But the shorts look good on you._

Numbers glared at his partner before slamming the dressing room door in his face and changing back into his pants. He figured he might as well buy the dumb shorts. They actually fit him okay and if they were going to be hiking, he certainly wanted to be comfortable.

They purchased the shorts and went back out to the car. Numbers chucked the shorts into the back of the car before sitting down in the passengers’ seat. _How much driving are we doing today?_

_A bit over an hour until we get there._

Numbers breathed a sigh of relief. He had been half-expecting another eleven hours on the road. Like they were going to drive into the fucking Pacific Ocean, at the rate they were going. Numbers tried to find a good radio station- for much of their trip, they got little to no reception, but when he did find a clear channel it was all country music. He dug around for a CD and popped in his old Bob Dylan album.

By the time the CD started over, Numbers started noticing more and more signs for Glacier National Park. He tapped Wrench on the shoulder and pointed to one of them. Is that where we’re going?

Wrench smiled. _You figured it out._

Numbers’ brow furrowed. So they were going to a park with a bunch of giant, slow-moving ice cubes? That didn’t sound very interesting. He was about to say something to Wrench when he saw him sign, _Look._

Numbers looked past Wrench to see what he was pointing at. At first, all he could see were trees, but he gasped when they came up to a clearing. Numbers’ mouth hung open as he stared at the mountains in the distance. They were absolutely beautiful. When they passed the clearing, Numbers turned back to Wrench, who was grinning at him. _I told you it’d be great._

Numbers reached into the backseat of the car to grab his camera. When he realized he wouldn’t be able to get a good photo from the front seat, he climbed into the back, rolled down the window and waited for another break in the trees so he could take a photo. Wrench opened up his window, too, and he smiled as he felt the wind and the sun hit his face. After Numbers got a good shot, he leaned forward in his seat and gently placed a hand on Wrench’s shoulder.

Once they were inside the park, they drove along the rim of St. Mary Lake. Numbers couldn’t believe his eyes. It may have been the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. Now Numbers’ entire upper body was hanging out of the window as he tried to get as many good photos as he could. The winding road took them around a sharp turn, and Numbers’ eyes widened.

The valley opened up dramatically, the mountains on the far end of the lake reflecting beautifully on the water. The sky was a perfect blue, and white fluffy clouds moved lazily through the air.

“What the fuck? This is… this is fucking beautiful!” Numbers yelled out the window at no one in particular.

Wrench pulled off at the overlook with the most picturesque view of the lake. Numbers opened his door before Wrench could even put it in park and hopped out eagerly. After snapping a few photos, Numbers turned around to see his partner approaching him. He looked up at Wrench with wide, happy, rejuvenated eyes.

_You like it?_

_Fuck! I love it! I’ve never seen anything like this before._

Wrench grinned as he leaned down to give Numbers a soft kiss. Numbers usually avoided PDA at all costs, but he hadn’t even noticed the other tourists scattered around them. When they broke apart, Numbers immediately turned back around to look at the scenery. Wrench didn’t take it as an insult, though. He took it as a complement. He had known Numbers would love it here, but seeing his partner this ecstatic to be somewhere that he took him to made Wrench feel fifty times better than he’d been imagining it would. Wrench walked over to where Numbers was standing, perched on top of a rock to get an unobstructed view of one of the mountains.

Numbers snapped a photo and jumped down to join Wrench. _You know what I just realized?_

Wrench smiled. _What?_

_This is the lake from the opening scene in The Shining. Do you know if the Overlook Hotel is in this park? I’d love to stay there if it is._

Wrench looked around, trying to remember. _No, I don’t think so. But there’s another really nice hotel here._

Numbers was now aware of the people around him, so he glanced around to make sure no one was looking before tilting his chin up to give his partner a quick kiss. Wrench smiled as he watched his partner turn off his camera and sign, _Let’s go. I want to take more pictures._

Wrench happily followed his partner to the car and got back into the drivers’ seat. He tilted his head when Numbers sat down in the seat next to him.

_You’re not gonna sit in the back and take photos out the window?_

Numbers grinned widely and raised his eyebrows at his partner. _I’ve got a better view from here. Fuck, that was cheesy._ Numbers laughed, and he smiled when he looked over at Wrench, who was smiling brightly right back. After they were back on the road, Wrench reached a hand over to place on top of Numbers’.

Wrench soon had to put his hand back on the steering wheel because the road was narrow and winding, and there were steep cliffs just feet away from their car. Wrench occasionally pried his eyes from the road to look over at Numbers, who was now on the correct side of the car to see the best view. Each mountain they passed was more dramatic and spectacular than the last. Numbers tapped Wrench’s shoulder wherever there was a pulloff, and Wrench happily stopped the car so his partner could snap a photo of him in front of the mountains. At one of the stops, a woman a few years younger than them approached Numbers and asked if he’d like her to take their photo. In any other situation, Numbers would never hand his precious camera to a stranger, but he gladly accepted her offer and went over to stand next to his partner.

_She’s gonna take our photo for us._

Wrench grinned and put his hand on Numbers’ shoulder, and he smiled brightly when he felt Numbers put his arm around his waist. After the photo was taken, Numbers collected his camera from the woman and took one last look around before heading over to the car, eager to keep going. Wrench smiled as he joined Numbers at the car.

Soon they were at Lake McDonald at the other end of the park. Wrench parked the car, and Numbers wasted no time getting out. By the time Wrench shut his door and locked the car, Numbers was already halfway to the lake shore. Wrench ran to catch up with him and brushed his hand against his partner’s. He wasn’t trying to get Numbers’ attention, but he expected Numbers to turn to look at him as if he were going to sign something. But Wrench smiled when Numbers kept his eyes on the lake and mountains ahead of him and threaded his fingers through Wrench’s. There weren’t nearly as many prying eyes here as there were in the other areas of the park.

They stepped onto the beach, but instead of sand, the ground was covered in small rounded grey rocks. As they got closer to the water, Numbers realized that the rocks were only grey when they were dry- the ones underwater were beautiful shades of red, green, orange, brown, and white. The water was crystal clear, and it was the perfect artsy photo opportunity. Numbers grinned as he knelt down to snap photos of various rocks from different angles. Wrench sat down on the pebbles and pulled his shoes and socks off, then rolled up the cuffs of his jeans before stepping into the water. It was incredibly cold, especially compared to the nice 85 degree weather, but it felt great after driving for the past two and a half hours. He waded far enough out so as not to get in the frame of Numbers’ photos. He took in the view of the mountains, and was startled when he felt a rock lightly hit his back. Wrench turned around to see that Numbers was trying to get his attention.

_What is it?_

_Come back here, I want to get a photo of your feet with the rocks._

Wrench smiled as he stepped back over towards the shore. Numbers took a few moments to find the best angle for the shot before he took the photo. He gave Wrench the look that meant “you can move now” and Wrench stepped out of the water and sat down next to his shoes. After a few minutes of taking more photos, Numbers sat down next to him.

_Run out of subject matter?_

_Ran out of film._

They sat like that for a bit, waiting for Wrench’s feet to dry off. After a few minutes, Numbers turned to Wrench.

_You’ve been here before, haven’t you?_

Wrench smiled. _Yeah, when I was little. My uncle took me. Taught me how to fish, took me hiking._

Numbers felt a twinge of sadness. He had heard stories about Wrench’s uncle- he was the only one the family who learned more ASL than just the alphabet. He died when Wrench was only eleven. Wrench had told Numbers about his uncle taking him fishing and hiking, but Numbers had never imagined that those stories took place in such a beautiful location.

Numbers wasn’t sure what to say, so instead he waited for Wrench, who signed, _Yeah, when I came here, I knew this was a special place. And when we got together, I knew I’d want to take you here someday._

_So this trip wasn’t spontaneous? You had been planning it?_

Wrench blushed. _Not really. I mean I always knew I was going to bring you here, but I didn’t know when. We were always busy with jobs, and moving into the cabin. I just waited for the right time to come. And after that last hit…_

Numbers gulped. He nodded and placed his hand on top of his partner’s.

After a few minutes, Wrench tapped Numbers’ shoulder, getting his attention. He pointed behind them at a row of cabins along the shore and winding around next to the river.

_We can stay here tonight if you want._

Numbers smiled. _Yeah, I’d like that._

Wrench stood and held out a hand to help his partner up. _Come on, let’s go check in._

After they got the key to the cabin, they had lunch at the nearby restaurant. Wrench asked Numbers to order two huckleberry cream sodas. Numbers was hesitant at first, but he did as his partner requested, and god, was it good. The soda was basically eight ounces of pure sugar, but it tasted magical.

The two men spent the rest of the day lounging by the lake, taking the day off they both deserved. Wrench rented a fishing pole and cast it lazily off the dock while Numbers sat in a folding chair beside him reading a book. The occasional group of bikers and nature enthusiasts made their way to the dock to look at the lake, but for the most part, they had the dock to themselves for the rest of the afternoon. Wrench caught a trout, and was disappointed that they didn’t have a kitchen and couldn’t cook it up. He ended up putting it back in the water, but not before Numbers got a photo of Wrench holding it. After having a spaghetti dinner at the restaurant, they sat with their feet hanging off the dock, watching the sunset on the mountains across the lake. When the sun had dipped past the horizon behind them and the bright yellows and oranges were gone, Numbers stood up to go back to the cabin. Wrench tugged at his arm. You’re gonna miss the best part.

Numbers tilted his head. _The sunset’s over._

_The stars will be out soon._

Numbers sat back down with his partner. As it got dark, it was harder for them to sign, as there weren’t too many bright lights around. Numbers instead rested his head against Wrench’s shoulder placed his hand on top of his partners’, lightly fiddling with his large fingers as they waited for the stars to come out.

Before their eyes, stars appeared by the minute. After about fifteen minutes, the entire sky was lit up, and the milky way galaxy stretched across the sky from one mountain range to the other. Wrench leaned back and lay down on the dock, so Numbers followed suit. They lay like that for a while, fingers entwined, watching the ever expanding universe unfold in front of them. Numbers was no stranger to places so remote that you could really see the stars, but usually when he was out late enough to see them, he was either focusing too hard on staying alive to pay attention to the stars, or he was too drunk to even notice that they existed. It felt nice to just lay back and look up at the night sky. Numbers chuckled. So this was something normal people did.

Numbers sat up after a bit and brushed the dirt off his arms. He patted Wrench on the chest and signed, _You know what would make this perfect?_

Wrench shook his head. He honestly couldn’t think of anything better than this.

_Ben and Jerry’s._

Wrench smiled. _I think I saw some in the shop._

Numbers grinned as he watched Wrench sit up. They rose to their feet and headed over to the shop.

After splitting a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough under the stars, the two men returned to their cabin. Numbers took his shoes off before falling back onto the bed. Wrench kicked off his own shoes and grinned when he looked over at Numbers, who was propping himself up on his elbows and wagging his eyebrows, beckoning him over. Wrench happily obliged, crawling on top of his partner before reaching over to turn out the lamp on the bedside table.

 

* * *

 

Wrench awoke the next morning to find that Numbers was still asleep. He snaked an arm underneath his sleeping partner and held him close for a few minutes, then slowly kissed him awake. He smiled when he felt Numbers stirring. It was still pretty early, but Wrench had something in mind for today. A few minutes later, he felt Numbers pull out from under his heavy arms.

Numbers stood up and stretched before leaning over the bed to give Wrench a good morning kiss. As Numbers pulled away, Wrench told him the words he hoped he’d never have to see- _Put on your shorts. We’re going hiking today._

Numbers groaned as he grabbed his clothing for the day. He then trudged across the room and stepped into the bathroom for a shower. Wrench smiled as he felt the vibrations of the door slamming behind him.

After they ate breakfast and were both dressed in their matching hiking shorts, they were ready to go. Numbers was already complaining about how hot his feet were in his boots. Wrench knew he was in for a long day. They each bought a water bottle, a sandwich, and a few protein bars from the store and placed them into Wrench’s backpack before heading out to the car.

 _So where are we going?_ Numbers looked over Wrench’s shoulder at the map he was holding up. Wrench handed the map to Numbers so he could use his hands to point and sign.

 _We’re here, at Lake McDonald. We’re going back the way we went yesterday over to this side of the park. We have to exit the park and drive a bit, then re-enter over here, at Two Medicine lake. Then we’re going on this hike._ Wrench pointed to a small blue shape on the map called Upper Two Medicine Lake. Numbers looked at him questioningly before placing the map on the hood of the car.

_Two Medicine? What does that mean?_

_I don’t know. It’s probably Native American._

Numbers pursed his lips as he took another look at the map.

_That’s a pretty long hike. Are you sure I’ll be able to make it?_

Wrench smiled. _You can outrun a hitman while carrying a machine gun, I think you can handle it._

Numbers furrowed his brow. _You know I perform the best when I have the fear of death in me._

Wrench chuckled and picked up the map, folding it neatly and placing it in the back of the car. _You’ll be fine. I did this hike when I was nine years old._

Numbers was still grumpy, but imagining a nine year old Wrench hopping through a nature trail made him feel a bit better.

They got into the car and drove back along the windy road through the park. Numbers made Wrench stop one or two times to take more photos. The lighting was dramatically different than it had been the day before, and the mountains looked brand new. Soon they were out of the park, and it wasn’t long before they arrived at Two Medicine.

Numbers stepped out of the car. They were parked in front of a long, skinny lake, and it wasn’t too far to the other side. Right against the edge of the lake, a large mountain jutted from the earth’s surface. The mountain reflected almost perfectly on the still water beneath it.

 _Wow. This is beautiful._ Numbers couldn’t count how many times he’d said that in the past two days. But it was the truth- this place was spectacular. He took a few photos and turned to look at his partner.

_Come on. You have to buy us tickets for the boat._

_We’re taking a boat? I thought we were hiking._

_The boat takes us across the lake to the beginning of the trail. Or we could hike around the lake to the trail._

Numbers' eyes widened at that. Boat _ride, boat ride sounds good._

Wrench smiled as they walked over to the store to get their tickets.

The wind whipped through Numbers’ hair as the boat took them across the lake. Usually Numbers would be safely inside the cabin, away from the wind that was messing up his precious hair, but he was happily taking photos of Wrench in front of the mountains. Soon they were across the lake, and standing in front of the trailhead. A few other hikers got off the boat with them, but they all went off on another trail.

Wrench smiled at his partner.

_Ready to hike?_

Numbers sighed. _Ready as I’ll ever be._ Numbers hadn’t been hiking since… well actually, he had never been hiking. He’d been walking in the woods, but always while either dragging a body or running from people trying to kill him. He didn’t think that counted as hiking.

Wrench took the lead, while Numbers trudged behind him. Numbers wasn’t in the best shape, and although he had quit smoking two years ago, his lung capacity wasn’t what it used to be. Soon the trail started getting steeper, and Numbers wished Wrench could hear him telling him to wait up. But Wrench looked over his shoulder every minute or two to make sure his partner was still behind him, and when he saw Numbers leaning against a tree, he backtracked and handed him a bottle of water from his pack.

 _Thanks._ Numbers took a swig and handed it back to Wrench. He wiped the sweat off his brow before looking up at his partner, who looked like he was about to laugh at him.

_What?_

_Nothing._ Wrench gave Numbers a quick kiss on the forehead before offering his hand. The trail wasn’t really wide enough for two people, so after a few minutes they broke apart. But Wrench tried to slow his pace so as not to leave his partner in the dust.

The trail grade got steeper as they went, but very gradually. After hiking for about an hour, Numbers tugged at Wrench’s arm and walked over to sit on a rock at the side of the trail. Wrench sat down beside him and pulled a protein bar out of his pack to hand to Numbers along with his water bottle. Numbers tried not to drink too much, as they still had a ways to go. As he was screwing the cap back on the bottle, he lifted his head up and took a look around. He realized that this was the first real look at the woods he’d gotten since they started hiking. Up until then he had just been focusing on keeping up with Wrench and keeping himself from tripping over any rocks. The forest was vast and overgrown, with large, looming pine trees and shrubs covering the ground. Numbers took a bite of his protein bar and snapped a photo before handing the water back to Wrench.

_Thanks for making me do this. This is really nice._

Wrench smiled. He wanted to say something snarky, like “We’re not even halfway there yet,” but he decided not to. The truth was that he didn’t really make Numbers do any of this, Numbers did it all of his own accord. He got into the car back in Fargo, he purchased the shorts, he got on the boat, all with minimal prodding from Wrench. So instead he said, _Yeah, this is just like how I remember it._

After a few more moments, the two men rose and continued on the trail. It kept getting steeper and steeper as they went. Soon Wrench was continuously looking behind him to make sure Numbers hadn’t keeled over on the trail.

They were almost at the end when Numbers’ feet started to feel like they were going to melt, they were so hot. Snow boots were definitely not ideal for hiking. He staggered up the last hump in the hill before they reached the top. Numbers sighed with relief when he saw a glimpse of the lake peeking through the trees.

Wrench held out a hand and led Numbers over to the lake shore. It was absolutely serene. A dark grey mountain loomed across the lake from them, and it was streaked with snow. Numbers was grateful that it was chilly up at the top- he had begun to overheat on the way up. He sat down on a nice shady log next to the lake and kicked off his boots and socks. Wrench did the same and stood up, bringing both of their pairs of socks over to lay out on a rock in the sun to dry. When he returned to the log, Numbers was already rifling through the backpack and pulling out his sandwich. Wrench smiled and sat down, getting his own sandwich after Numbers handed him the bag.

They ate their sandwiches in silence, taking in the crisp mountain air and watching the sun sparkle on the water. After a few minutes, Numbers was getting cold from being barefoot in the shade, so they moved into the sun on the shore of the lake. The water was crystal clear, and in some spots it was a deep blue green. Numbers always thought that only tropical waters could be that color. He sighed as he looked over at his partner. They were completely alone up here, and Numbers loved it. The feeling of being the only two people for miles wasn’t new to him- they did live in North Dakota, after all- but being alone with him in such a wonderful spot gave him a warm feeling he’d never had before. Numbers tilted his head back as he watched Wrench stand up.

_Come on. Let’s walk around._

Wrench took Numbers by the hand and led him into a grassy area, where the sunlight streamed through the trees and onto their faces. Wrench felt Numbers loosen his grip on his hand, and saw that he was eyeing his camera, which was still sitting on the log from earlier. Wrench gave Numbers’ hand a squeeze, and the shorter man stopped. He could take photos later. Numbers followed Wrench’s lead, and they walked almost a quarter of the way around the lake and stopped by an opening in the trees where they could see the sparkling water and a snow-capped mountain in the distance. Wrench placed a hand on his partner’s waist and leaned his head down to give him a soft kiss. Numbers smiled. They stood like that for a bit, Wrench burying his face in Numbers’ thick, dark hair, and Numbers resting his head on his partners’ chest. After a few minutes, Wrench lightly pushed Numbers’ shoulders away so that he could raise his hands to sign.

_I always wanted to get married here._

Numbers’ eyes widened, and he blushed. _Here? Like, in the park?_

 _No. Here, like…_ Wrench returned his hands to his partner’s hips, moving him a foot or two to the right. _Here._

Now Numbers’ face was completely red, redder than Wrench had ever seen it. Wrench smiled brightly as he unzipped one of the pockets of his fancy synthetic shorts and pulled out a ring. He didn’t think it was possible, but Numbers’ face grew even redder when he saw it.

_What do you say, Adam?_

Numbers buried his head in Wrench’s shoulder to process what was going on. He had to admit, he had no idea what this trip could possibly be, but an impromptu wedding was the last thing he would have expected. Here he was- sweaty, smelly, barefoot, wearing a fucking pair of shorts, and his hair… oh god, his hair. His hair probably looked atrocious. And his partner was asking him to spend the rest of his goddamn life with him. But Numbers didn’t consider saying no, not even for a second.

He lifted his head and straightened up to kiss the taller man. Wrench smiled. It wasn’t that he was worried that Numbers was going to say no- he just thought that Numbers might get angry at him for springing all of this on him. But he didn’t really see Numbers as the kind of guy who would appreciate him getting down on one knee, or baking the ring into a piece of bread, or whatever else they do in the movies, and then having a wedding at a later date. He thought Numbers would want to get all of the cheesy romantic crap over with all at once. So that’s what Wrench had decided on.

When Numbers broke from the kiss, Wrench took his hand in his and began to slide the ring onto his finger. Wrench was startled when Numbers pulled his hand away.

_Don’t we need to say vows first?_

Wrench smiled. So Numbers did like cheesy romantic things. He put the ring back in his pocket so he could sign without dropping it. _Okay. You go first._

Numbers furrowed his brow. _Why do I have to go first?_

_It’s good to go first. You get to say all the stuff that I was thinking of, and then I have to come up with a new vow._

Numbers looked around, trying to come up with something. _Alright. I vow to… oh, god, why did I want to do this?_ Numbers laughed, brushing his fingers through his hair. _Okay. I vow to never change the channel while you’re watching a cooking show. And I vow to always put a new bag in the garbage can when I take the garbage out._ Numbers bit his lip. He had been trying so hard to come up with something that wasn’t cheesy, but his vows made them seem like they were already an old married couple. Numbers thought to himself, _I guess that’s why we’re getting married._

He looked up at Wrench. _Your turn._

_That’s it? No “I’ll love you forever?”_

Numbers bit back a smile before signing, _I’ll love you forever, Heath._

Wrench smiled. He had imagined it would take a lot more than that to get Numbers to say it. _Alright. I vow to keep my feet off the coffee table, and to kill all of the spiders that get into our house. And I’ll love you forever, too. I promise._

Numbers laughed. His cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Wrench lowered his hands and threaded his fingers through his partners’ before returning his hand to his pocket and pulling the ring back out. It was a very simple silver band, without any embellishments or stones. Wrench picked it because he knew it would go with everything in Numbers’ wardrobe. It was modern and classy, just like him.

Numbers looked down at the ring on his finger and then back up at his husband.

_I don’t have a ring for you._

Wrench smiled smugly. _That’s okay. You can buy me one when we get back home. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a diamond big enough to express how much you love me._

Numbers tilted his head and grinned, replying, _No, that’s not gonna work. They don’t make diamonds that small._

Wrench laughed, his eyes sparkling brightly. _I love you, asshole._

_I love you too, fuckhead._

Wrench ruffled his husband’s hair before placing a kiss on his forehead. Numbers tilted his head up and smiled when he felt Wrench’s lips press against his. From now on, when Wrench wanted to surprise him, he'd never doubt his partner for a second.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

A selection of Numbers' photos:  

 

 

[ ](http://s35.photobucket.com/user/14372/media/glacier1-01_zps586dd933.jpg.html)

 

 

[ ](http://s35.photobucket.com/user/14372/media/100_7679_zps48c3caed.jpg.html)

 

 

[ ](http://s35.photobucket.com/user/14372/media/fish-01_zpsebb3557f.jpg.html)

**Author's Note:**

> Epilogue: They prance around the park and stay at the Swiss Alps-esque hotel for their honeymoon. They watch the sunset from a different spot every night. Numbers has to buy a few more rolls of film, and they fill their trunk with huckleberry cream soda before they leave for home.
> 
> All of you should try to visit Glacier before all the glaciers melt! But even without the glaciers, it's still magical. Especially if you like hiking, it's absolutely worth the trip.


End file.
